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Shopping for a Display Case

When I married my husband, the two of us went on several shopping trips. During these shopping excursions, we looked for beautiful pieces of furniture to fill our new home with. At one store, I was drawn to a lovely oak, curio cabinet. After spotting this item of furniture, I instantly knew I wanted to display my extensive doll collection in it. Do you have a large collection of dolls, model cars, model trains, or snow globes you want to proudly display? Consider shopping for the perfect, stylish piece of furniture to put your beloved things in. On this blog, I hope you will discover smart tips to help you shop for the display case of your dreams. Enjoy!

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Shopping for a Display Case

Important Reasons To Hire A Gemologist Before Buying And Selling Jewelry

by Eli Schmidt

Are you considering buying an expensive ring, necklace or brooch? Perhaps you're considering selling your grandmother's heirloom jewelry? If the jewelry is set with precious stones, you should consider having a gemologist look at it before any transaction occurs. Here are some reasons why this can be a good idea:

Authentication of the stones: Having an antique piece of jewelry doesn't guarantee that the stones are genuine. Artificial gemstones have existed nearly as long as jewelry itself has. Additionally, although the piece may have originally had precious stones, a previous owner may have had them removed and replaced with genuine-looking artificial gemstones. A gemologist can use a variety of tools, including laser analysis, to find out whether or not a stone is real or not. If the gem is real, they can provide you with a certificate or report as to its authenticity.

Verify the stones' sizes: Do you know the difference between a half carat and a full carat of rubies, emeralds or diamonds? Most people aren't able to look at a stone and accurately tell how big it is. A gemologist can take careful measurements of your gems so that you'll know exactly how large they are. Knowing how large the gems are is a crucial part of correctly pricing the piece. If, for example, you find out that you have a full carat of sapphires, you'll be able to charge buyers more than if you only had a half or three quarters of a carat.

Verify the stones' value: The value of a gemstone doesn't depend solely on how large it is and the type of gemstone it is. There are other factors that need to be taken into consideration. For example, a very clear and pure ruby with a beautiful cut may be worth more than a diamond that has multiple flaws and inclusions. A gemologist can take a look at your jewelry and verify whether the pieces have been made from high quality stones or very inexpensive ones.

Identify possible treated stones: Your beautiful green jade pendant may have been bleached with acid to remove inferior brown components. Your topaz ring may have started out as a colorless stone that was coated with metal oxides to create brilliant hues.  Your pearl necklace may owe its uniform color to hydrogen peroxide. The coral on your earrings may actually be bone that was soaked in red dye and cut into appropriate shapes. A gemologist can spot any undisclosed treatments so that you can know if your jewelry has been artificially enhanced. This could affect the value of the piece because a treated stone that looks identical to an untreated stone is usually worth much less than a naturally colored stone. 

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